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Friday, 24 September 2010 16:31 |
By Krystle Taylor
Staff Writer
HUGO — Republican candidate Mary Fallin met with the public Friday morning at The Mustang Grill to discuss her plans for the state of Oklahoma if she is appointed governor.
Fallin said her main focus is to bring more businesses into the state, therefore creating more jobs for communities. Fallin also wants to improve the education system. She believes that creating the very best education systems for the state will in turn bring more jobs to the people. Her third goal if elected will be to make the government more efficient and more effective for the people. Fallin believes the government needs to tighten its belt.
Also, Fallin says the state needs a governor that will stand up to Washington. When the state is being threatened by illegal immigrants, she said she will stand up and do what is right. Fallin voted against the federal government taking over the health care system. She said she considers it unconstitutional.
“This is about the future of our nation,” Fallin said. “We need to stand up against unfunded mandates. It’s going to be the governors who help turn this nation around, the governors will help get America back on track.”
Fallin is running against Democrat Jari Askins in the Nov. 2 election.
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Tuesday, 14 September 2010 20:20 |
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By Amber Hanneken
Staff Writer
HUGO — Hugo School Board members heard changes to this year’s homecoming date and prom location along with reviewing test scores during Monday night’s meeting.
School board members reviewed the 2010 Academic Performance Index (API) for Hugo students. The API is federally mandated and shows student academic achievement in math, reading, writing, history and science. Hugo Elementary had 1103, down 78 points from last year. Hugo Intermediate School scored 1044, up 140 points. Hugo Middle School scored 903, down 63 points and Hugo High School scored 837, up 17 points from 2009.
Principal Glen Martin said the middle school reported the lowest scores in the district for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is based on test scores and attendance rate for elementary and intermediate students. For middle school and high school it includes testing, attendance, drop out rate, retention rate, college remediation, AP scores and the performance of subgroups based around ethnicity, special education and other factors. Increased standards this year made it tougher for students and schools to meet the proficiency on tests.
Principal Debbie Golden said 30 eighth graders didn’t pass the reading test last year. Twenty-four of those students retook the test this year and half passed, she said. When asked, they said they didn’t realize how important the tests were. By the time students get into high school, End of Instruction tests are a deciding factor in graduation.
For the 2010-2011 school year, the school hopes to improve scores and close gaps by tutoring, increasing attendance, benchmark testing, conducting teacher development as well as collaboration, analyzing individual student’s data, lowering the student to teacher ratio and encouraging parent involvement.
Teachers Jill Eddinger and Julie Hoover approached the board about the location for this year’s junior/senior prom. Last year, the prom was located in the high school cafeteria and Eddinger and Hoover were each responsible for a lot of the decoration and planning. The two said, despite attempting to create incentives for them to stay, most students left early. They requested this year’s prom be in the Choctaw Nation event center in Grant. Eddinger and Hoover said the security would be the same as always with IDs checked at the door and guests required to fill out a form prior to buying a ticket. They added that students would not be allowed in the casino.
The cost would be about the same as last year’s event and be funded by $1,700 left over in the account and the selling of gold cards. After a motion by Dr. Mike Irvin and a second from Drake, the board gave approval for prom to be in the Grant event center. To read the full story, subscribe to the online edition: http://www.hugonews.com/transitionHDN.html |
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Friday, 17 September 2010 17:02 |
The Choctaw County Sheriff’s Department is looking for help from the public in a number of unsolved cases across the county. Various suspects have stolen cattle, vandalized property and burglarized a home, and the department is looking for information.
Undersheriff Terry Park believes thieves have taken two bulls, 23 cows and 12 calves from a Soper ranch. The owner said the cattle went missing between July 16 and Aug. 2. One bull is a registered Brangus with a “U-329” brand, the second is a black Limousine/Angus/Brangus cross with a tag in the left ear. Some of the 23 cows have an “R” brand on the hip. The owner says the missing herd is worth $22,000. He visited area sale barns but has yet to find the cattle.
On Sept. 6, Officer Joe Moore with the Choctaw County Sherriff’s Department was dispatched to another residence in Soper in reference to stolen cattle. The owner said six cows and 12 calves were missing from his property. He believes the incident occurred between Sept. 3 and 6. He said the cows were branded with “J-F” but the calves were not. The estimated value of the cows was $900 per head and $550 per head for the calves.
In another unsolved case, a Boswell man’s property seven miles south of Pigeon Roost Road was vandalized. According to Park’s report, the property owner arrived at his barn July 26 to start bailing hay when he found evidence of trespassing during the night. All of the belts on his hay baler had been cut and the vandals had slashed both tires. The tires on the cattle trailer, one tire on his four-wheeler, the tires on his hay rake and all four tires of his tractor were also cut. The report says the suspect dumped about 250 gallons of diesel onto the ground. The report states it also appears the suspects attempted to hot wire two four-wheelers but failed. A total loss of $4,537 is estimated. Park took evidence at the scene and the matter is still under investigation.
In another report by Park at the same Boswell property, someone had cut all four tires on the owner’s John Deere tractor and put sand in the fuel tank. The cost of repairs is estimated at $3,000.
According to a report by Officer Ryan London, a home on North 4250 Road in the county was burglarized Aug. 20. The report states the homeowner said the suspects broke the window in the front door to gain entry. She said the following items — total estimated value of $1,590 — were stolen: antique watches, bag of old coins, cash, cuckoo clock, a gold and silver trumpet, a 2006 class ring, a ring, a keyboard and blue wine glasses. London spoke with a neighbor who said she observed a green vehicle at the residence at the time of the burglary. The sheriff’s department is making an arrest of a Messer juvenile in the case but are seeking help in finding others connected with the crime.
Anyone with any information related to these cases is asked to call the sheriff’s department at 580.326.2000.
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Tuesday, 14 September 2010 20:20 |
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By Amber Hanneken
Staff Writer
HUGO — Hugo School Board members heard changes to this year’s homecoming date and prom location along with reviewing test scores during Monday night’s meeting.
School board members reviewed the 2010 Academic Performance Index (API) for Hugo students. The API is federally mandated and shows student academic achievement in math, reading, writing, history and science. Hugo Elementary had 1103, down 78 points from last year. Hugo Intermediate School scored 1044, up 140 points. Hugo Middle School scored 903, down 63 points and Hugo High School scored 837, up 17 points from 2009.
Principal Glen Martin said the middle school reported the lowest scores in the district for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). AYP is based on test scores and attendance rate for elementary and intermediate students. For middle school and high school it includes testing, attendance, drop out rate, retention rate, college remediation, AP scores and the performance of subgroups based around ethnicity, special education and other factors. Increased standards this year made it tougher for students and schools to meet the proficiency on tests.
Principal Debbie Golden said 30 eighth graders didn’t pass the reading test last year. Twenty-four of those students retook the test this year and half passed, she said. When asked, they said they didn’t realize how important the tests were. By the time students get into high school, End of Instruction tests are a deciding factor in graduation.
For the 2010-2011 school year, the school hopes to improve scores and close gaps by tutoring, increasing attendance, benchmark testing, conducting teacher development as well as collaboration, analyzing individual student’s data, lowering the student to teacher ratio and encouraging parent involvement.
Teachers Jill Eddinger and Julie Hoover approached the board about the location for this year’s junior/senior prom. Last year, the prom was located in the high school cafeteria and Eddinger and Hoover were each responsible for a lot of the decoration and planning. The two said, despite attempting to create incentives for them to stay, most students left early. They requested this year’s prom be in the Choctaw Nation event center in Grant. Eddinger and Hoover said the security would be the same as always with IDs checked at the door and guests required to fill out a form prior to buying a ticket. They added that students would not be allowed in the casino.
The cost would be about the same as last year’s event and be funded by $1,700 left over in the account and the selling of gold cards. After a motion by Dr. Mike Irvin and a second from Drake, the board gave approval for prom to be in the Grant event center. To read the full story, subscribe to the online edition: http://www.hugonews.com/transitionHDN.html |
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